Fujifilm X-T200 Review

The Fujifilm X-T200 reviewed here is the replacement for the X-T100 and as such, it sits above the Fuji X-A7 and below the Fuji X-T30 in the company’s range of APS-C format mirrorless cameras. It has a lot in common with the X-A7 but it brings an electronic viewfinder to the party to give an alternative to the vari-angle screen for composing images.

Aimed at beginners, the Fuji X-T200 is easy to use but is still capable of producing impressive images and video. Its vari-angle screen and mic port make it a potential vlogging camera.

Read our Fujifilm X-A7 review
Read our Fujifilm X-T30 review

At launch, the Fujifilm X-T200’s price tag was £749/$799.95 with the XC 15-45mm f/2.5-5.6 OIS PZ lens. It went on sale on 27th February 2020 and is available in silver, dark silver or champagne.

In a key difference from models further up the Fujifilm X-series line, the Fuji X-T200 has a ‘standard’ APS-C format sensor with a Bayer coloured filter array. It has the same 24.2Mp CMOS sensor as the Fuji X-A7.

While this sensor has the same resolution as the X-T100’s chip, it has an updated design with copper wiring for better performance and it’s paired with a new processing engine that supports quicker readout speeds. In fact, Fujifilm claims that the processing is 3.5x faster than the X-T100’s. This has a range of benefits including better autofocus performance and reduced rolling shutter effect in video mode.

Thanks to the new processing engine, the X-T200 can record 4K video at 29.97P/25P/24P/23.98P, which is a big improvement on the 15P possible with the X-T100. Effectively, the X-T200 has a usable 4K video mode whereas the X-T100 doesn’t.

Fujifilm has also included a new Digital Gimbal mode that works in Full HD only, and a Digital Image Stabilizer that can be used in 4K mode.

Another benefit brought by the new sensor and processing engine is a jump in the number of selectable autofocus (AF) points. The X-T100 has a maximum of 91 whereas the X-T200 has up to 425.

Like the X-T100, the X-T200 has a hybrid AF system, so it uses both phase and contrast detection autofocusing. Fujifilm has also updated the Face/Eye Detection AF to make it easier to focus on individuals or groups of people.

Fujifilm has given the X-T200 a 3.5mm microphone port and while there isn’t a dedicated headphone jack, an adapter included in the box to allow you to plug a pair of headphones into the USB port. It means you can record higher-quality audio and monitor what you’re getting.

As an entry-level camera, the X-T200 doesn’t have a metal body or the robust build of models further up the Fuji X-series line, but it doesn’t feel especially flimsy either.

In a nice touch, which is unusual for a camera of its level, the X-T200 has dual control dials. This means that you can adjust the exposure compensation without having to press a button while you use a dial. It’s not a huge thing, but it’s something you appreciate with time.

It’s important to note that unlike higher-end Fujifilm X-series cameras, the X-T200 doesn’t have traditional exposure controls. There’s a mode dial on the top-plate to set the camera to your preferred exposure mode. There are options to suit beginners as well as experienced photographers.

Design

Fujifilm has made some significant changes to the design of the X-T100 for the X-T200.

Firstly, although the X-T100 screen’s strange dual-tilting mechanism is of use whether you’re shooting upright or landscape format images, it’s not the most intuitive to use. That has been addressed for the X-T200 which has a more conventional vari-angle screen. This is a 3.5inch 2,760K-dot TFT LCD with 16:9 aspect ratio. It can be flipped and twisted to face towards for selfies and vlogging.

The screen is also touch-sensitive and it can be used for changing settings as well as setting the AF point or tripping the shutter.

In another change from the X-T100, the X-T200 doesn’t have a navigation pad. Instead, there’s a joystick. While this means that the navigation pad’s shortcut options have gone, the joystick is quicker and easier to operate.

I find the joystick a bit low to reach with my right thumb when I holding the camera one-handed, so a second hand is always required when it’s in use.

By default, the Quick menu is accessed by tapping a Q on the screen and there isn’t a dedicated Q button. However, some of the controls can be customised and I set one of the buttons on the back of teh camera to access the Quick menu.

Fiddly Buttons

Although the buttons on the back of the camera are fine, the power and video record button on the top-plate drove me crazy. Of the two, the video button is worst. I cannot tell you how many times I pressed it and the video didn’t start or stop as expected. It’s too small and awkward to access. I found I had to use my finger or thumbnail to operate it but even then it was temperamental.

Video Controls

The natural inclination for shooting video is to turn the shooting mode dial to the video icon and then press the record button. However, this sets the exposure automatically. If you want some control you need to use another mode, ideally Manual exposure mode.

The only confusion here is that the sensitivity (ISO) setting that’s indicated when you’re composing the shot may not be the same as the one that is used when you press the record button. That’s because the video ISO is set via the main menu.

It can make assessing the scene a little awkward and it’s advisable to set the two ISO values to match. I assigned the Video ISO control to the My Menu screen to make it quicker to reach.

The Quick Menu only gives access to stills settings and it’s not customisable.

It’s worth noting that plugging an external mic into the X-T200’s mic port restricts the movement of the vari-angle screen a bit, but it’s workable.

Viewfinder

A 0.39-inch 2,360K-dot OLED electronic viewfinder is pretty respectable for an entry-level camera and the X-T200’s provides a clear view.  There’s enough detail visible to focus manually on the rare occasions that you need to and the colour and exposure are a good match for the captured image.

It may not have the X-Trans CMOS sensor of cameras above it in Fujifilm’s range, nor quite such an extensive array of Film Simulation modes, but the Fuji X-T200 is capable of capturing very pleasing images.

In the default metering (or Photometry as Fujifilm calls it) setting, the X-T200 does a good job of getting the exposure right in a range of conditions. You may need to use the exposure compensation occasionally, but not excessively, and thanks to the dual dials you can make adjustments very quickly.

The Standard/Provia Film Simulation mode is a good all-round setting that delivers attractive colours. However, I prefer Astia/Soft for portraits. Classic Chrome is also a favourite for its muted tones.

It would be nice to see Acros for black and white photography, but only Monochrome is available. This can be applied with a coloured filter effect to manipulate the contrast, but I prefer to make post-capture conversions. Nevertheless, it’s useful to use Monochrome mode for the black and white preview and shoot raw files to gather the full-colour data.

Sadly, the new Classic Neg mode that was introduced with the Fuji X-Pro3 isn’t available either.

Fujifilm X-T200 Image Quality

Just like the X-A7, the Fujifilm X-T200 keeps noise under control very well up to around ISO 6400. At this point, some of the finer details in Jpegs become smoothed, which limits the size at which you want to show them. Simultaneously captured raw files look sharper but there’s more noise visible.

The X-T200 can capture a wide range of tones in a single image so you don’t find the highlights burning out too quickly or the shadows becoming an inky black before they should.

I’m not really a fan of the handling of the XC 15-45mm f3.5-5.6 OIS PZ kit lens, but optically it’s good. It captures plenty of sharp detail, which is maintained pretty well into the corners even at the widest point of the lens.

Autofocus

Thanks to the sensor upgrade, the Fujifilm X-T200’s autofocus (AF) system makes quite an improvement uyon the X-T100’s. It’s fast and accurate with stationary subjects and it copes well with moving subjects too when you select the right settings.

When I set the AF point in Single-point mode it was able to get sharp images of my dog running around even when we were in pretty gloomy conditions. Naturally, that relies on me keeping the active AF point over the subject.

In good light, my tests indicate that the AF system can keep up with the 8fps (frames per second) maximum shooting rate.

Things are a little more hit and miss when the X-T200 is set to Wide/Tracking AF. It couldn’t keep up with my dog playing fetch, but it worked a treat with flowers bobbing around in a breeze.

Also, while the Face /Eye Detection AF isn’t quite as dependable as Sony’s it’s still good.

Video Performance

In 4K mode, the Fujifilm X-T200 produces nice-looking footage. In the default settings, some fine details look a little over-sharpened, but on the whole, the movies look good.

The autofocus system also handles many situations and subjects well, but it can jump occasionally.

In addition, the digital stabilisation proves useful, taking some of the shake and wobble out of handheld 4K footage. If you’re happy with Full HD resolution, the Digital Gimbal produces good results too.

Conveniently, you can produce slow-motion video in-camera with the X-T200. Again, this is a Full-HD option rather than 4K, and the results are good provided that the sensitivity can be kept fairly low.

Fujifilm supplied the X-T200 as a vlogger kit which includes the Rode VideoMic Go. This significantly improves the quality of the audio, capturing more distant noises and more natural sound. However, in the default settings, there’s an audible hum and the external mic level needs to be turned down to -18bD or lower to get rid of it. It really depends upon what you’re shooting, but if the ambient sound is low, you’ll need a very low mic level.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

The Fujifilm X-T200 has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity built-in. This is designed to let you control the camera remotely and transfer images to your phone for sharing.

It’s also possible to set the Bluetooth system to always be on so that it can ping images to a paired smartphone straight after shooting. I set this up and then forgot about it. Sadly, so did the X-T200 and no images transferred without me specifically selecting them for transfer.

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This video was shot using the Fujifilm X-T200 in 4K 29.97p with the Digital Image Stabilizer off but the Fujinon XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ lens IS set to Continuous mode. The audio was recorded using the built-in mic.

The video below was shot using the Fujifilm X-T200 in 4K 29.97p with the Digital Image Stabilizer on and the Fujinon XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ lens IS set to Continuous mode. The audio was recorded using a Rode VideoMic Go with the level at the default 0dB setting – there’s a noticeable hiss in places.

This next video was recorded using the Fujifilm X-T200 with the Full HD High Speed Recording set to 5x 23.98P (120P) the shutter speed was 1/500sec.

The Fujifilm X-T200 makes a worthwhile step up from the X-T100, which I liked a lot when I tested after its release.

I also think that the Fujifilm X-T200 is worth the extra money over the Fujifilm X-A7 because of the addition of the viewfinder. A vari-angle screen is great, but a viewfinder is essential in bright sunlight and a bonus when you’re trying to follow a moving subject in the frame.

It has a few quirks, and its handling is closer to the X-A7 than the X-T30, but the X-T200 is a great little camera. It feels good for the price, is versatile, has a good AF system and it delivers nice quality images and video.

If you’re looking for your first serious stills camera or you want to start vlogging, it’s well-worth considering.